German interior minister sacks cybersecurity chief

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has dismissed the chief of Germany's main cybersecurity authority, Arne Schönbohm.

Schönbohm, who leads the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), has been under fire for his links to the Cyber Security Council Germany, which itself has been criticized for being too close to Russian intelligence circles.

Schönbohm helped set up the Cyber Security Council Germany 10 years ago.

The reported accusations against Schönbohm had "permanently damaged the necessary trust of the public in the neutrality and impartiality of the leadership of the president of the most important German cybersecurity authority," the Interior Ministry said.